Harte's Desire

[Maple Harte]

Ryloth, sixteen days after hunt for witch began in earnest...

A woman walked in the midday heat, with an exhausted, grim look to her features. The rumor had been ignored by her at first, but eventually her paranoia had won out. The old crusade in her bones not quite dead. The nightmares happened at random now. She wasn't well armed...nothing more than her cortosis weave cane. Everything else had been left on the ship. What little she had, anyway. She had ventured into CIS territory mostly to confirm the story from the one surviving witness that could still form semi coherent sentences. He was here somewhere on Ryloth. His family had wanted her to come to the farm lands. And to come alone. The first real scrap since her pursuit of this beast had resumed. The Mind-Binder tried to lick the inside of her brain, taint it with her venom. Skip. She had found herself in a marketplace. She'd been out of the Force game for a while. There were witches here on Ryloth. She was glad all she had on her was a cane. Drew less attention that way. She made sure to balance on it, to give the impression she needed it. After all, she had once been a hundred years old thirty seconds ago, an ancient Jedi Master reborn again. Wait. That was false. Scrap. Come back to reality.

Was not really looking to stay, she thought. Ryloth had its charm, and certainly hadn't been completely destroyed like she had witnessed a thousand times before in other falsehoods her brain tried to convince her of. The food being sold in the open had a delicious smell. She was happy at the false memory of being a master chef. That was always fun when it played out. Her stomach grumbled. Food. Meat. Spice. Running on automatic, the lithe, tan skinned woman with short brown hair, green eyes and a soft face clad in black biker gear sat down at a cheap, open air restuarant and silently signalled the waiter and ordered a meat wrap and some water from the menu.

That lead had better be worth it. If it was not it might be months before she picked up the trail. Maybe never. She hated the Mind-Binder.

Keep it together, she told herself mentally. Skip. The food had arrived. She was greatful when reality sped things up at times. She silently ate the wrap., watching various people go by, not sure if even a quarter of them were actually present.

 

[Veronika Fleischer]

She had woken up late because she slept late. She slept late because she was out late. She was out late because she was busy having fun with the underground club at night. You got the idea. The Twi'leks certainly had the concept of fun nailed on the head. Ryll spice mixed with alcohol, flashy lights and dance music. All good. The night scene provided fantastic hologram pictures and videos to be posted on social media. The Twi'lek males who liked to sharpen their teeth drew lots of comments online. Now all she needed was too recover from the hangover.

The blonde had dragged herself out of her bed when the sun was already up. She never liked to wake up in the morning, but her stomach was rumbling and she needed food. She had the credits to spend, so instead of an open air restaurant, she was sipping a cup of hot tea in a fancy looking cafe opposite with cool air conditioning. Her meal was being prepared by the kitchen, so she helped herself to a plate of pastries instead which was ordered by her B-list celebrity friend.

The socialite faked a smile, entertaining the celebrity with some small chatter. She was more interested in another presence that she had felt. A ripple in the Force. A small nudge that indicated the sign of another Force User. And that unknown individual was sitting just across the cafe, at the open air restaurant. Emerald eyes glanced out of the window, turning momentarily yellow for a moment as she tapped on the Force to magnify her vision. It took her just a moment to locate [member="Maple Harte"] who was clad in her black leather.

"Is it me? Or is your mind a little distracted by something?"

She sent her message telepathically across to the leather woman. She was glad to have her gift. She always thought of it as a blessing, even if her fifth psychotherapist pointed out that her temper and bipolar symptoms were unrelated to Force sensitivity. What did they know about the Force anyway?

Veronika Fleischer certainly liked the way she was.

 

[Maple Harte]

The voice caught her off guard in her head. Wasn't one of the usual ones. So startled was she that she jumped out of her seat. She looked about fearfully. Who had said it.

The voice had sounded rich in her head. Seductive. Like the Mind-Binder tried to be. Disgusting abomination. Skip. Looking for the voice. The voice that might be the Mind-Binder.

No. Skip. Wasn't Mind-Binder. Mind-Binder only spoke in her sleep. Abomination. Skip. Smell of spices and sweat and sounds and nexus and banthas and rats that were not there. Skip. This was someone else.

Maple looked about nervously. Was it and ambush? Should she respond? Flee. Nooooo...fleeing would be bad. Fleeing would only draw suspicion.

Maple struggled to send a reply to focus. She closed her eyes, trying not to focus on the way the people and places around her seemed to close. Skip. The Mind-Binder tried to lick her soul. Lick it raw. Skip. Focus. Tried to let the Force flow in her. Was not easy. So hard. The shadows waited under her feat. She would look down at night as she had always never had until now and never see them watching back. Skip. Focus. Come back to reality. This reality, anyway. Or was this all another episode and she would blink and be somewhere else all along. Skip. The Force flowed through her. What was left of it. Skip. She was a murderer. Skip. The Force reached her brain, flowing through her senses as she stretched them out, eyes closed.

The message that was sent was...disjointed. It had been a long time since she had used telepathy, but even so, her condition did not help matters.

A simple girl from a thousand false hoods, chased by dragons on a starry radiation field to the depths of aetan, and feasting on the raw matter of the Gods that watch I and you and me as we twirl about in the rotting twilight that gives itself to the Mind trapped in a stone cell under my feet and in my ears and with a million false leads and choices that is a consequence of the determinism eating from the depths of our hearts. Sorry. I am only a simple girl with a cane. Looking for someone. Are you real?

 

[Veronika Fleischer]

"A poet? How exquisite..."

Veronika never expected the reply from [member="Maple Harte"] to be in such a form. She never wrote poems herself, but could appreciate them. The response had pricked her curiosity further, her focus no longer on her friend who was till yanking away. Whoever the biker chick was, she was no simple girl. No simple girl would be able to tap onto the Force and respond in such a fashion, though the message was indeed a little cryptic. She took a sip of her tea and transmitted her reply.

"A simple girl who could read thoughts and use telepathy? No, darling... you are not that simple," she giggled, a low husky tone that she had perfected. "I'm more real than your imaginary dragons. In fact, I am curious to know who you are looking for."

Her friend was boring to begin with. Veronika had no qualms asking her to leave, which she did by implanting a thought that her friend's pet was unfed since morning. The celebrity hastily got up, excused herself and paid the bill for the two of them while she head back to the hotel to look for her pet. With the distraction gone, Veronika continued her telepathic conversation.

"So darling. How about we talk face to face instead? Fancy a nice dessert? My treat. I'm sure you can find me easily."

She ended the conversation and withdrew the aura around herself, making her Force signature as quiet as possible. A game? A tease? Maybe both. If Maple was not able to trace her down, then so be it. Veronika only liked people whom she felt were worth talking to.

 

[Maple Harte]

She thought that was poetry, Maple thought, mentally squirming in discomfort. And she was real. Maybe it was the Mind-Binder. Maybe the beast had decided to finally come into the open. But why choose such an unusual way? Then again, the creature haunting her sleep did enjoy its games...maybe the format had just gotten boring. Maybe it wanted to do it in the real world now.

Could be a trap. Possible. She still had enemies out there. But the ones she knew for a fact were still alive preferred less elaborate measures. All except the one enemy she had never encountered in person.

And now she wanted to play a game. Maple didn't like games anymore, and had never believed in the concept of the thrill of the hunt. Often times, that sort of sentiment just ended with a large, snarling animal leaping at you.

She looked around, tried to sense, stretch out her perceptions, but she was still too rattled after having been contacted in such a manner to properly feel for her in any case. The Mind-Binder made her face Mimban sometimes. Skip. A wedding, and she was the bride to--

Skip. The Mind-Binder had no eyes. Skip. Maple peered about. She still recalled to basic things about Force Powers. The Force adept often must be in direct line of site to use them most times. That meant that where ever this maybe-Mind-Binder was, she could have a clear line of vision to her. She looked around. Several points. No logic in half of them. And the promise of dessert.

A chill of dread went up her spine. It felt like she was being flirted with. This was something that abomination in her sleep often did. Skip. Find the most likely source.

She looked around. It was possibly walking distance. And she looked and spotted a cafe across the restuarant. Not a far walk. Maple balanced on the cane as she moved...hesitantly. She'd know it was the Mind-Binder or not after she found the source. Cafe's like that often serve dessert. And blood sacrifices in at least three of the realities that had played out in her head just now.

Hesitantly, before she opened the door she thought of running. No telling who was waiting. It could be the Mind-Binder herself. It could be a psychotic vampire like it never was half the time. It could be a zombie Anakin Skywalker, a zombie Anakin Skywalker who just happened to sound like a seductive woman because why not. Her brain had produced much crazier. Much, much, crazier.

It could just be not there at all, and Maple could just be following another voice she simply believed was real just because it said so.

She walked into the cafe. Skip. The Mind-Binder would sometimes fondle the ritual scars on her breasts. Skip. Maple fought back vomit at the remembered sight. Her eyes felt like they were bleeding. Skip. Back to reality. She quietly went past people people who looked pretty well off.

She closed her eyes, necessity forcing her hand as she focused, straining this time. The cafe felt awash with life, but it was very overwhelming, and she knew she could not keep it up long. None had that distinct feel of a force adept, when she tried to feel it. The dragons, always retreating from the lightning.

Skip. She refocused, walking about the cantina, balancing on the cane.

She noticed something. There was one part of the cafe where she wasn't really picking up anything, despite seeing one person there.

Instinct made Maple hesitate again, as much as the false memory of the fall from that one bridge. No choice now. She stepped forward. The woman was blond, pretty. Was it the Mind-Binder? She somehow imagined it would always have a pretty face, if this was the creature. If that was the case though, why ask who she was looking for? Should she not know better.

Maple took the seat across from her, trying to control her fear. The Mind-Binder could be right across from her, and there was no way to tell.

Maple decided to speak. "Hello," she said quietly, her accent still containing faint traces of an alderaanian inflection, piercing green eyes staring into emerald ones. Such pretty eyes, Maple thought, such a perfect mouth. Skip. Focus. Might be the witch about to brutally murder you. At least it would be over. Maple herself was pretty, but her gaze was...off. Soldiers would have called it a thousand-yard stare. Madmen called it comprehension of how it all didn't make any sense anymore.

 

[Katrine Van-Derveld]

Somewhere along the line, Ryloth had turned from a place which had always been drawing her to a place she could almost consider her home. In some ways, it was. However, a Lupine knew where home was, even when they hadn't been there in years. In ways, not even her place of birth, which was Dathomir, could be. Both Figaro Favoura VII and Dathomir were quite different and even distant thoughts in her mind now, when the Mandragora was so fresh off the ground and she had much to figure out. Like the way her new marks still felt fresh, burning lightly at her skin even though she remembered getting them a few months ago or how the spirits became coherent and present in her mind now.

Ryloth was their home far more than it was her and perhaps that played part in the way she thought of it. Katrine didn't question that train of thoughts though. After Avarisa, the three spirits of Mandragora were a welcome company in her head. When her Uncle didn't send her to other places, Katrine usually found herself back on Ryloth which of all the planets under the Confederacy banner felt most comfortable. Again, no doubt thanks to the influence of the spirits. But when she wasn't on her ship, she was out and about the cities with random plans. Like now, she had found herself a nice little dress and she was looking for a place she could grab something to eat to drink since she didn't feel like running about after her light walk through the city.

We require more, Doashim boomed in her mind mighty in his voice as in his form; More will come. They will be taken, Jart wisely declared, the flap his wings coming through as if the spirit was right at her side. She smiled. "They will be claimed," the young Lupine said under her breath as she continued, her hand touching against the bracelet on the opposite list as her sapphire gaze moved through the crowd. It was always fun among the Twi'leks and the other residents of the planet though she didn't quite get the attention as she did when her hair had been purple. Seemed like forever ago now that sheen that old part of herself since the spirits had set her free from the remnants of her curse. Her stomach grumbled lightly, reminding her that she required food, lots of it even, making her push those memories out of her mind as she sought out to find a good place to sit and eat.

[member="Maple Harte"] [member="Veronika Fleischer"]

 

[Veronika Fleischer]

Veronika remained in her chair, casually enjoying the meal that the waiter had served her while looking to see what [member="Maple Harte"] would do. The main course was nerf meat tenderloin, medium rare, served with a salad. The blonde took a taste, deciding that it was of acceptable standards and tucked in. With her Force signature hidden, she could only depend on her vision to see what [member="Maple Harte"] was doing. It was not difficult, since Maple was the only one decked in black. There she was, walking into the cafe with a cane. Considering the woman to be too youthful to be needing one for support, the cane probably served more as a weapon.

And there she was again, looking around at her surroundings. Would she find the blonde? It appeared so, since Maple noticed a void in the life energies in the section where Veronika was sitting. The blonde caught sight of the other woman's eyes, admiring how different the green was compared to her own. Veronika had spent lots of time in front of her mirrors, so she knew how her eyes were leaning towards the yellow tint while Maple's was a brilliant green.

"Hello darling. Looking at my mouth? Perhaps you are fancying a kiss?"

She giggled, the same husky tone that usually drew people's attention. She had noticed how Maple was staring at her face, even though the stare seemed a little off. She could even read the surface thoughts from Maple's head. Pretty eyes. Perfect mouth. Mind-Binder, whoever that was. She would take those compliments in.

"Speaking of kisses, perhaps you would like a sweet one? I think the desserts here would offer you pretty of sweetness."

Veronika picked up the holopad on the table and navigated to the dessert menu, handing it over to Maple. It had the usual cakes and ice cream, but also other fancy stuff like chocolate eclair, crème brûlée, lemon tarts and profiteroles.

"Hmm? Don't you... feel it? Another feminine energy in the ripple. She's gifted as well. Raw with energy."

The Force signature of [member="Katrine Van-Derveld"] was different from anything Veronika had felt before. This person was probably not far away, still walking in the streets. But that energy, that wildness. Almost feral even.

 

[Maple Harte]

Not the Mind-Binder. Not certain whether to be relieved or not, Maple did some quick guesstimation. One of the local Force Users she had heard about? Maybe? She must have stared too long at the mouth, because the woman asked if she wanted a kiss. Not that anyone could have faulted Maple for staring. Those lips were...full...

Maple played it neutral. She didn't want to offend the woman. Something about her told Harte it could and would end very badly.

"Tempting," Harte said politely. "But I'm afraid I am a middling kisser. Couldn't give your face the lip lock it would deserve. No instinct for it, unfortunately. But the dessert does sound like a wonderful idea. Thank you."

There, not quite flirting but not quite telling her about that dark prophecy involving hoardes of Obi-Wan clones. Wait. Skip. Not real. Don't mention that out loud. Can she hear you? She can probably hear you. Stay on target.

She was handed a menu. Her sweet tooth kicked in and for a second she remembered how she was trained by Jedi made completely of candy. Skip. No. Not real.

She stared at the menu, and ordered a vanilla cake slice. While she waited, she felt it was best to introduce herself.

"My name is Maple Harte. A pleasure to make your acquaintance. May I have a name to match such beauty?" she asked sincerely, just as she then felt a powerful presence. Wild. Raw, like the woman said.

Not a Jedi Master. Equivalent in power, perhaps. But the energy did not feel serene in the Force. That kind of signature had always been cause for worry back in the bad old days. Usually meant highly lethal up close. Don't come at something like that with anything less than overwhelming advantage. Anything less would leave you in a ditch somewhere.

Two powerful women, and her a small ripple in the pond between them. One of them was clearly hitting on her, and to be honest, it wasn't like she had any vow of chastity to uphold. That mouth was perfect.

And best of all, it WASN'T a zombie Anakin Skywalker. That would have been bad because the only way to kill zombie Anakin was with fire, because he had been so thick headed in life simply shooting him there would have been impractical. He ate her nine times out of the ten realities she'd just been to, but she had managed to hit him in the junk at ten and escape. Wait. Back to reality. Real reality. Skip.

"Hmmm...one can smell the premium fuel in the engine," she noted of the signature.

 

[Veronika Fleischer]

Veronika could barely contain her laughter when she glimpsed at the surface thoughts of [member="Maple Harte"]. Again the newcomer was thinking and looking at her lips. She always enjoyed attention, specifically if they sincere. Most men would stare, while women were more discrete in their glances. For Maple's case, she behaved as the former, the glance never really going away despite Veronika pointing it out to her.

"Maple? I like the name. Bet you are sweeter than maple syrup. As for me, my name is Veronika Flesicher. That's V-e-r-o-n-i-k-a for you."

Whoever this Maple was, Veronika had enough liking for her. The newcomer was strange, mysterious even. All the talk about the Mind-Binder. Jumbled up thoughts about dragons, Obi-Wan clones and other weird things. The blonde did not care. Maple's looks were enticing enough to hang around. Enticing enough to kiss even, considering how much Maple was looking at her. But that could wait. The cake had arrived, a nicely baked slice of beauty served by the waiter with cream icing.

"Help yourself with the food, darling. And yes, you are right about the other person. She is complicated, isn't she? But I have a feeling she is not going to threaten our lovely little lunch gathering. Perhaps she might even join in..."

The other presence in the nearby vicinity was still a distance away, but Veronika knew that [member="Katrine Van-Derveld"] would have already picked up their presence in the cafe.

 

[Maple Harte]

Oh, she just had to have a sexy name to go with the face too, Maple thought, as the cake arrived. Just her luck. She goes here for business and runs into possible pleasure. It was unfair, she told the Gods that existed only in her mind.

Then again, maybe after she was done here...Veronika could spell her name out again...slower...whispering it into her ear. She looked dangerous but Maple had found, after shedding her old celibacy hangups, that it was dangerous or nothing. And Veronika looked the part. Did she EVER.

Maple took a bite of cake as she spoke of the other hopefully joining. The more Veronika spoke, the more Maple was starting to realize she may have run across two heavy hitters on this place.

Maple wasn't sure what that meant, but it might not hurt to make friends with the locals. And she decided it was best to be honest. About her mission, not about Cyborg Count Dooku, who had crashed through the window with two lightsabers only five minutes prior, challenging everyone to a duel. Skip. No. Back to reality.

"You expressed curiosity about who I was looking for. He lives out in the desert. With his family. Mostly mad, but still had 'some' coherence to him. He asked for me by an old business alias. And given the manner in which he was driven mad, I am obligated to seek him out...he...may have a lead on someone I am...seeking." Maple answered, trying not to let her distress at her task overwhelm her.

 

[Katrine Van-Derveld]

Couple more turns and more moving through the busy streets as Katrine sought out the two signatures through the Force same as well she sought prey when in her natural form through her sense of smell, her feet moving almost involuntary to the source of the two. Then she had come to a full stop in front of a quint little café and someone ran into her. "Hey, watch it," Katrine almost immediately said as the male alien grumbled in a deep voice at her before moving on. She gave herself a shrug at whatever he said, not identifying the language and having far more interesting fish to find that she marched inside the café, sapphire gaze searching through the closed cool establishment though her eyes didn't quite do much good to her now.

Eyelids lowered, the Witch concentrated once more before she felt them again. They're right here, Jark advised quietly as she opened her eyes and moved in between the tables, approaching the two seated one. "Hi, Hello!" Katrine greeted both with a small wave of her hand. "Are you new to Ryloth? You must be new to Ryloth," the blond decided quickly, "I haven't seen or sensed you here before so you're definitely new, right?" She continued. "I'm Katrine Van-Derveld and on behalf of the Confederacy and Mandragora, welcome to our lovely slice of the galaxy." And then she sat herself down on the vacant chair and looked at each of them.

While neither had technically invited her to sit down, she was here with a purpose and the spirits wouldn't let her just walk away from these two. They'd never quite done anything to physically hold her back but knowing her experience with Avarisa, spirits were strongest on their own ground, which Ryloth was. Besides, Katrine had no intention of leaving.

[member="Veronica"] Fleischer [member="Maple Harte"]

 

[Veronika Fleischer]

"A mad person in the desert? Perhaps the locals might know more," Veronika shrugged. The last thing she needed to do was to get herself involved in finding some strange man unless there was something to be gained. For now, the topic had to be put aside because the other gifted lady had just stepped into the cafe. Veronika had gotten herself ready by the time [member="Katrine Van-Derveld"] found the two of them sitting prettily at the table. The new blonde woman seemed friendly enough, though the petite size was a contrast to the Force signature she was radiating. So when Katrine decided to sit down at the table, she did not ask her to go away. Veronika knew better than to judge a person simply by appearance.

"I am indeed new to Ryloth. This lovely lady next to me is [member="Maple Harte"], and she is looking for someone in the desert. As for me, my name's Veronika Fleischer," she said softly, emerald eyes glancing at Katrine intensely with interest. Now that the witch was sitting so close, Veronika could try to find out who she was. She continued looking at Katrine's baby blues, her mind slipping into the higher level of consciousness and began calling out softly. Yellow eyes now, the Force channeling through her body.

I'm curious. If you don't mind, show me who you are.

Her consciousness reached out. She could hear a flutter of wings. A bird? No, there was more than one creature. A roar now. The shuffling of sand. Three creatures. Invisible to her. But she could hear the movements they had made. All she needed to do was to take a step forward. Tempting, but her curiosity was satisfied for now. She blinked, breaking off the eye contact momentarily and pondered for a moment. Why would Katrine be surrounded by three supernatural beings?

"Mmm... I have to say that's really interesting.... hahahaha!"

She laughed aloud. Her trip to Ryloth might just turn into an adventure.

 

[Maple Harte]

Maple glanced to her side as another woman, this one an even sharper blond with icier features yet exuding a friendliness that lent itself easily to conversation. She had very defined lips, not like Veronika, but still...nice lips were nice lips.

Maple did her best not to stare. It was still unfair that she was being stuck in front of not one but two beautiful women and the pressing need to reach that man in the desert was all that prevented her from flirting actively and openly with both of them, but mostly Veronika, who she wanted to hear spell her name out in a whisper. Katrine seemed like she'd be good for fighting all those damn Obi-Wan clones currently pursuing her. Wait. No. False. But Katrine was strong. Definitely stronger than Maple was.

And there was something with her.

Her Force sense was not as developed as Veronika's. It had actually atrophied, in truth, as she sank into the life of a bounty hunter, trying to hide from her past. But it got the impression something was with Katrine. Not just the Force. Something else. Something living.

The Mandragora were said to deal in spirits. It seemed the rumors were true.

Looking back on her old career, Maple could see how ludicrous it was in hindsight, the Jedi thinking they could keep a lid on all these groups.

"New to Ryloth, as you said." Maple spoke to Katrine, "And it is a pleasure to be here."

She took a bite of her cake, watching Veronika's eyes go yellow. Veronika was in touch with her emotions, far better than Harte, whose emotions had been implanted in her by a weequay implant specialist--

Skip. Falsehood. One of many. Stay on target.

Veronika burst into laughter, perhaps seeing what Maple only got a hint at.

"I am, for the most part a peaceful traveller to Ryloth. I had planned to retire from Bounty Hunting, but recent events with a...a...

Maple suppressed a flair of fear and hatred at mentioning the abomination out loud.

"...creature..." Maple said as evenly as she could. "Have forced me back in."

Maybe the witch, Katrine might be able to help. Other than a Jedi, witches like these two were perhaps among the few who could appreciate how dangerous her foe was.

"I am of course more than happy to ply my trade in confederacy space, working for the CIS legitimately in the process," Maple added, trying to show the locals she wasn't here to start anything shady...at least, not without their strict blessing.

On the matter of Veronika though. Some place nice and shady would be a helleva way to spend the night.

 

[Katrine Van-Derveld]

The first one to speak confirmed what Katrine suspected, introducing first the girl beside her as Maple Harte who was looking for someone in the desert before she called herself Veronica Fleischer. Her eyes narrowed slightly at the name, it seemed so old and somehow familiar. "Were you famous somehow?" Katrine asked without thinking, looking at the other woman. It was entirely possible that the face seemed familiar though she couldn't tell exactly why. It seemed so far away, the memory right now, like something she had dug into the holonet while she was a child, of faces from a different time. Perhaps that time was now and she had gotten her tenses wrong again but Katrine didn't know for sure.

Her head tilted towards the woman as she asked her to show who she was, studying her quietly now as she tried to grasp exactly. Katrine didn't quite go around showing her true form to people she didn't know. "Why? I don't show my fur so often to strangers. Most don't even see it," she pointed out. She was petite and slim, most people just went assuming that was all there was to her that it surprised Katrine that a stranger would go ahead and request of her to see it. "Perhaps in a bit. Right now, I need to eat. Do they have any food here?" She was way too hungry to be changing right now. Besides, keeping herself in her human form prevented her from sinking her fangs into the first thing she found.

"What's interesting?" Katrine asked as the other woman began to laugh. She sees, Jart whispered to her, She has a strong sight of the beyond, Lylek added. "Do they call to you?" Katrine added the other blond then, wanting to know if the spirits were indeed reaching out to her.

As Maple joined the conversation, she too confirmed she was new, calling herself a peaceful traveler to Ryloth... for the most part, revealing herself to be a Bounty Hunter, bringing up a creature. Was this the creature Veronika had mentioned a moment ago? The one from the desert? There was more though, talking about wanting to legitimately work within the Confederacy. "For the most part a peaceful traveler?" Katrine had asked first before she'd continued. "Creature? Is this the creature you seek in the desert? How has the creature forced you back?" Strangers didn't know but Katrine could ask a great many questions when she began. "We can always use more people within the Confederacy. Though do you know about the Mandragora?" She asked last before her sapphire gaze moved between the women. "That is actually why I'm here. The spirits had felt your presences here same as me. They wish for you to join us. Both us you."

[member="Veronika Fleischer"] [member="Maple Harte"]

 

[Veronika Fleischer]

"Was I famous? I am quite sure I'm still famous now," she raised an eyebrow and glanced back at [member="Katrine Van-Derveld"]. Did the blonde just insulted her by saying her popularity was waning? Judging from the tonality, probably not. The socialite would usually encountered three groups of people. Ignorant fools who did not know her, others who had heard about her fame and her special fans who adored her. Katrine seemed to belong to a different category altogether, which surprised her somewhat. Despite her intelligence, she could not figure out what exactly those words meant and decided to ignore it. Besides, Katrine mentioned something more interesting.

"Fur? That's quite... an interesting answer to my question which I had posed in my mind. And yes, they do have food," Veronika nodded her head and handed the menu over to the witch. She had never expected Katrine to have fur. First it was the strange powers. Next up was fur. The whole conversation was too puzzling for the blonde to comprehend but she knew there was something supernatural. Katrine was talking about "they" calling out to her. The "they" should be the mysterious creatures.

[member="Maple Harte"]'s turn to talk. More questions from the witch regarding the person or creature the brunette was seeking, including talk about the Confederacy and Mandragora. The blonde knew about the Confederacy, also known as the Confederacy of Independent Systems. A faction that ruled this part of the galaxy. She knew nothing about the Mandragora though, but apparently it involved spirits.

So, those mysterious creatures are spirits!

Veronika exclaimed aloud in her mind, certain that everyone else at the table could hear her mental gasp.

"Ahem, I see. Spirits. Maybe you could explain a little bit more. I'm trying to wrap my head about this whole thing, even if I can sense them."

She waved at the waiter, asking him to come over and take Katrine's food orders. A glance at Maple, wondering what her new companion would think of the invitation made by the witch.

 

[Maple Harte]

Fur? Maple thought in curiosity.

Uh oh. She was in a reality dominated by werewolves. She hated being stuck in these types. Particularly if they had a werewolf Obi-Wan. He was cool, but his breath smelled constantly like freshly torn up nerf, because that was what he always ate. Rank smell. Rank. Smell.

Maple suddenly, subtly checked her hands for fur. Chances are she was also a werewolf.

Then she looked down and got a tinge of relief. The cake was still there. If this reality were Were-wolf centric, it should be a slab of steak not cake.

That meant she was still in real reality, and the woman Katrine was some other species. There were those right? Those happened.

Right? Please don't let this reality be werewolf centric. They were always mean and smelled of mushrooms and dead flesh and Maple could never pick the time she would change.

Wait. No. Not werewolf. It was just Katrine then. Katrine was the werewolf. A hot werewolf, which was extraordinarily difficult to pull off. Most werewolves were not hot. Not the ones in Maple's head anyway. Mean. Snarly. Rawr. Woof. They also loved cabbage, for some weird reason.

Maple was snapped out of her delusion as Katrine posed her questions.

"For the most part, peaceful...as for my mission to the desert, the...creature...I seek is not here, but a mentally damaged man I am here to visit may have seen my nemesis. I just need...a clue...a description...anything to put me on its trail. What I seek is...very dangerous."

"I don't know much about the Mandragora admittedly. Its been a long time since I was truly in the 'game' so to speak." she added, though she was given pause at Katrine's next statement.

"Your spirits want me? Why me?" Maple asked. "And what do the Mandragora stand for, that would sway me to their way?"

The waiter meanwhile, came to take Maple's order.

Maple ordered Nerf Stew as she waited for Katrine to respond, taking note also that Veronika was said to be famous. Maple had never met a celebrity before, let alone one with Force powers. All this talk of spirits, werewolves, and Mind-Binders made her hungry.

 

[Katrine Van-Derveld]

Was she famous? Katrine blinked suddenly, unaware of her mistake as she watched the blond, going back on her words and more specifically her tense, realizing what she'd done. Her lips pressed together. "Are, yes," she struggled, not quite sure of the exact year she was in so she decided to trust Veronika in the matter. "Don't mind me. I mess my tenses up sometimes." It was far more than that, for sure but explaining time travel and all that usually wasn't the right away to go. At least, Katrine tried not to say it but most of the time, she ended up spilling the beans when she didn't want to.

Her reply surprised the blond? Was that what it was? Katrine wondered while Veronika called it an interesting answer to her question before sharing that they did in have food, handing her over the menu. Leaning forward, she took it, inspecting it. "What kind of answer did you expect?" Katrine asked without looking up, scanning through what was offered.

For the most part peaceful, Maple had said before she'd addressed her question about the dessert. The creature she was looking for wasn't there but she was looking for a mentally damaged man who might have seen her nemesis requiring information about said nemesis. Troubled, Lylek tapped on her shoulder, making her look away for a moment as though she would see him. Indeed, Doashim agreed. "I see," Katrine commented too the both of them.

The loud thought pierced through her mind, sapphire gaze shooting up as she'd heard it. 'They are,' she responded in the same manner. A strong one, Jart whispered to her then, her eyes continuing to watch Veronica as heard him. "I'm inclined to agree," she told him out loud, not paying attention to the fact that she'd said it out loud.

Both Veronica and Maple asked for a clarification on the spirits after a moment, though Maple was also curious about why the spirits wanted her.

"Mandragora. We're Witches of Ryloth. It's an ancient religion founded by old slaves here. It has ties to the Witches od Dathomir but we have three spirits: Jart, Doashim and Lylek. Those are their names. They choose the ones to join the Mandragora, depending on the person and what they're like. They mark you with their unique brand when they claim you. Doashim says take but mostly, they use the word claim. Depending on who it is, they give you special gifts when you're chosen." Katrine talked, going through the basics of how someone became a member of their religion. After that, she turned to Maple specifically. "Protect what is mine through magic," she shared the mantra of the spirits, one that repeated through the Grimoire. "They choose those who are worthy, those who are indeed, those who they find have potential with the Force or those one possible future shows they will be a valuable member of the Mandragora." There were many ways to explain why the spirits wanted someone though it was hard to pinpoint which of these answers was true because none of them and all were at the same time. It depended both on the spirit and the chosen.

With the waiter arriving, she glanced back at the menu and then began pointing to a number of items, mostly meat products including Smoked Nerf, Fambaa Delight, Bivoli Tempari; shuddering as she saw the Rancor ribs on the menu before she continued, showing to the Pashi noodles, potatoes, chewing roots and Skycorn before finally requesting a Pikatta pie. When she finished, Katrine smiled and put down the menu. "To know for sure if the spirits have chosen you, you have to touch the Grimoire. For those unchosen, nothing would happen but if you are, your essence is transported to the spirit realm for what is realistically a couple of second though it may appear longer to you. They can be a bit chatty, at least they were with me before they pick."

[member="Veronika Fleischer"] [member="Maple Harte"]

 

[Maple Harte]

So that was her angle, Maple thought.

But still...protect what is mine through magic?

There was one thing Maple could think of that she would very much like to protect...protect whatever was left of herself. She didn't voice that though. Wasn't sure that was a good idea.

Plus, these spirits...what did they get out of it? Where had they come from? Why make bonds like this.

Maple had known little of witches like Katrine back in the bad old days. She had been told that their magics were unnatural, a misappropriation of the Natural Order.

Thing was, she also knew she would need every advantage she could get. Plus, the Confederacy paid well...she could at least feed herself while retraining.

And if one of these spirits claimed her? What then?

Better it haunt her than that abomination in her sleep. At least it might hold a conversation. One that was two-way...if it could distinguish itself from the other falsehoods in her brain. Katrine looked like she had just talked to thin air, which was a relatively tame side effect to someone like Maple. At least she wasn't the only one talking to herself.

Maple took a bite of her stew, chewing thoughtfully for a moment before swallowing.

"Say I was interested. Would the magic corrupt me?" Maple asked, after taking a sip of water, trying to stay focused in this reality as best she could paranoid that the super-insects that ruled the universe were not listening. Damn Super-Insects. Zap! Skip. Back to Katrine, who had ordered Pie. A pie person. That was relatable. Not the Mind-Binder either.

Unless she was...was she secretly? No nonononono, aura's all wrong. Don't panic they're watching you everyone is watching you because you're in your underwear. Hope they like what they see, because you sure do. Wait, shut up take a bite before she starts staring. Is she staring? She's staring. Her and her spirits. I'm watching you, spirits. You can't have my money. Or my cake. Ok, maybe a bite of cake. But thats it. No more after that. No. Cake. One bite.

Maple took another bite of her stew, wondering more about the Mandragora, and if the spirits were going to try and steal her cake. She would fight the spirits for the cake. She had a stick.

 

[Veronika Fleischer]

"Nevermind, fur is a good enough answer," the blonde decided not to press further. She knew she could always ask [member="Maple Harte"] later, judging from the look of the brunette's face who knew what [member="Katrine Van-Derveld"] was talking about. Even if Maple's mind was a little... confusing. She could actually hear the random chatter coming out of the bounty hunter's mind if she chose to listen in, though it required great concentration and focus. She decided it was not worth the effort to try and sieve through the messy thoughts.

She suddenly found herself pricking her ears at Jart's whispers of praise, saying that she was strong. Veronika smiled, basking in the praise that the spirit had given her. Whoever this spirit was, she was able to hear him or her most clearly. Meanwhile, the other blonde appeared to have finished her orders and made Veronika raise an eyebrow at the number of items ordered. There were only three of them, three petite ladies sitting at the table. Veronika had her half eaten steak and Maple had her stew. If Katrine had a big appetite, kudos to her. But the socialite still wanted to maintain her figure and was certainly not going to take a bite on any of those dishes.

"Okay, so you call yourselves Witches of Ryloth. I don't really care about the religion aspect, but I certainly don't mind having more power at my fingertips. What I am concerned about, is this unique brand that you mention. Please tell me it will be a beautiful marking, because I am very particular about appearances."

Veronika tossed her concern out in the open and immediately heard the same spirit replying back in her mind. Jart, it seemed, had already taken a liking on her and showed her a visual image of the tattoo she would get if she passed the Grimoire test. The blonde nodded her head and shrugged her shoulders.

"It seems your spirit has answered my concerns. So I'll go ahead and touch this Grimoire as long as two conditions are met. One, Maple is also agreeable to joining. Two, you need to tell us what happens if the spirits and us do not see eye to eye during the initiation process or down the line."

 

[Katrine Van-Derveld]

Her sapphire gaze returned to Maple as she asked whether magic would corrupt her, shaking her head. "Magic doesn't corrupt, just like the Force doesn't really corrupt. The darkness would have to come from yourself or an outside source," she pointed out. "It's all about how you use it, what is your purpose." The Force wasn't corruptible at all as Katrine had learned through her experience, it was a case of influence and she'd been on the receiving end of a corruptible influence to know the difference. Not even her own parents, who had both once been Sith influenced her towards the darkness and her Mother had gone so far to insist all her children began neutral and to decide their own fate, whatever that might have been.

Was fur a good enough answer? Katrine glanced over at Veronika, looking at her a bit oddly because of her words. How was fur a good enough response? "Good enough?" She repeated her thoughts curiously.

"It's called Mandragora," Katrine clarified the other blond's words. "It's what we are, Witches with our base being Ryloth." These weren't the Witches of Dathomir. In fact, if Katrine went home and talked about the Mandragora to the Witches of the Singing Mountain, they would, from their own perspective, find a great many flaws to the cult with ease. They would naturally start the discussion by wondering about the light or dark because it was they knew. Even if the Singing Mountain Clan classified themselves as neutral, they were really more leaning towards the light despite it.

Veronika didn't mind the power, she was curious about the brand. Just then, a few of her ordered dishes came in, with the waiter putting both plates in front of her. "Each is unique," she said as she unbuttoned the top of her dress and stood, removing the soft fabric, first revealing the blackbird on her left collarbone. "Jart gives a tattoo. For the cunning and creative," she explained before she removed the top off her shoulders, revealing the brand on the right of her abdomen. "Doashim created a brand on your flesh. He's destructive and strong," Then finally, she turned her back and pulled the rest of her top to reveal the scarification mark there. "Lylek, the Shadow, the vicious. His mark is scarification."

Katrine wasn't much aware of the fact that she was essentially stripping, leaving only the single piece of clothing from completely revealing herself to a couple of strangers. She finished showing and pulled back on her top, buttoning it up as she sat down and began eating the two pieces of meat by herself. "They all appear instantaneous while you're in the spirit realm. The spirits touch on your flesh and make the mark. It actually does hurt but once you're back in the real world, they're there," she spoke in between her bites.

When the other blond spoke up again, Katrine was half way through one dish and still had ways to go on the second plate. Jart seems to have been reaching out to the other woman she realized, making her watch the other woman. She could most certainly see why they wanted her in the Mandragora in the way they could easily reach out to her when most of the time, people couldn't just see or hear them. Though Katrine had always had the skill of communicating with spirits, a fact she had assumed was because of her curse rather than the other way around, the spirits only began speaking to her after they'd all marked her in Rodia. Veronika, however, had two conditions. One of them being that Maple joined, making the Lupine's sapphire gaze switch back to Maple as Veronika wondered what would happen if they didn't see eye to eye some day. Katrine finished the piece in her mouth before she began answering.

"It's not like that. The spirits aren't judging or anything. The only instance we know where they've outright banished someone from their numbers is my ancestor. I don't know the full scope of what happened but she tried to corrupt the entire Mandragora for her own gain and destroy its very foundations to create a cult around herself. The spirits were essentially protecting themselves, the Mandragora itself and all their chosen by throwing her out," she explained. Avarisa had gone beyond the possibility of being saved and the spirits had had no choice but to deal with her. In her banishment, the Hawks rose within the Singing Mountain Clan though, unburdened by the history of their family though. "Some of our chosen have sworn fealty to the Vicelord and work exclusively as Dark Acolytes as his special forces. Even then, the spirits don't banish them," she pointed out as she finished one plate and moved to the next one just as the waiter arrived to bring two more plates, removing the empty one as he added the two more.

[member="Maple Harte"] [member="Veronika Fleischer"]